Emerging Airpower Dynamics in the India-Bangladesh Border Zone

Reading Time: 3 minutes India’s overt efforts to develop military facilities in close proximity to the Bangladesh border are unlikely to be interpreted by Dhaka as a benign or friendly gesture. On the contrary, such actions risk being perceived as escalatory, especially in the context of already heightened regional sensitivities. The restoration of India’s long-disused Kailashahar airstrip in Tripura, positioned less than thirty kilometres from Bangladesh’s northern frontier, follows shortly after Dhaka’s announcement of plans to reactivate the Lalmonirhat airbase. Although New Delhi characterises the upgrade as a civilian initiative, its design parameters and strategic location strongly suggest dual-use intentions. These developments, taken together, signal a pattern of rapid military posturing across a traditionally stable frontier. From a Bangladeshi perspective, the timing and geographic distribution of Indian infrastructure enhancement projects cannot be separated from broader strategic considerations. The proximity of Indian airbases to key urban and military centres in northern